Ice cube forming device



May 24, 1932- Rl T. BRlzzoLARA 1,859,285 y ICE CUBE FORMING DEVICE Filed July l5, 1929 INVENTO Rof/"fizza ara BY c? MM Patented May 24, 1932 i' UNITED srArEs ROBERT T. BRIZZOIJARA, vOIE NEW DORP, NEW YORK IoE CUBE nonnina DEVICE s Application filed July `175, 1929. Serial No. 378,192.

l This invention relates to ice cube forming devices, and more particularly to improvements in that type of ice cube forming devices which 'embodyV grids or intersecting plates adapted, when placed on'the block ofice, to sink or melt Vtheir way into the block of ice and producethereb-y a series Aof small sections or cubes of ice'for table use.

The primary object which the present invention has in view is to provide certain improvements in a grid structure of the kind referred to and in a manner as hereinafter set forth, whereby to guide the grid struc tlre as the plates thereof enter into the block o ice.

It is within the province of the present invention to provide a construction of means whereby the grid structure in its entirety will be guided and positioned with respect to the block of ice operated upon and in a manner designed to avoid waste of the ice and to prevent diminution in the size of the resultant ice cubes.

A further object of the inventionis to insure the production ofice cubes of uniform size, and to make provision for repeated applications of the grid structure to the same block of ice without unnecessary waste of ice and in a manner to secure uniform cubes of ice as well as to prevent defacement of the same.

More particularly, the object and purpose of the invention are to provide for the grid structure guiding and positioning means in the form of projections joined to the grid structure and adapted to penetrate the ice block in advance of the intersecting plates of the grid structure. According to an important feature of the improvements, certain of the projections are arranged in angular relation with respect to each other so as toV preventany skewingjaotion ofthe grid structure relatively to the block of ice. A further feature of improvement in this regard is to so arrange the projections that they will leave, after the production of eachv series of ice cubes, projectionreceiving recesses in the body of the block of ice for the re-application of the grid structure to the block of ice, either in the same position or in a reversed end for end position. The improvements of the present invention are capable of utilization with advanta- Y geous results in connection with ice cube '55 forming structures of any type having means adapted to penetrate the body of the block of ice, whether the structure depends for its operation solely upon pressure, such as by the weight of the structure itself, or whether the structure has combined therewith a heat producing agency for promoting the melting of the ice to form the ice cubes. In conneef tion with ice cube forming structures embodying heating means, by means of which the parts melt their way rapidly into the body of the ice block, my improved guiding and positioning means are especially efficacious in avoiding waste of ice and in preventl I ing diminution in the size of the resultant To ice cubes. f

With the above obj ects and others in view, the invention consistsin the improved ice cube forming device and in the formyconf struction and relative arrangement 0f the '75 parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this application, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims. f

The inventionV will be best understoodv by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated one simple and practical embodiment of the device, and in which,- j 'Tg5 Figure l represents an elevational view showing my improved ice cube forming device upon a block of ice; j j

Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of my improved device; and i "do Fig. 3 represents a sectional plan taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l. j j

With more particular vreference to the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of construction, the T grid structure is represented as comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending'metallic plates 10 and a series of transversely'e'xtending metallic plates 11 arranged -inV intersecting relation so as to produce a series 't100 of chambers 12 in which the ice cubes are formed when the intersecting plates penetrate the body of the ice block. It is in place to state here that the metallic plates have the characteristic of heating plates, inasmuch as they absorb heat from the air and transmit the absorbed heat to the ice,7 therebyfacilitating penetration of the plates into theA block of ice. The intersecting plates enter or sink into the ice by pressure, which may consist of the Weight of thestructure,I or ofthe Weight of the structure combined With a Weight superposed thereon, or by virtue ofpressnre combined with the agencyofheat for,.promptA ing melting of the ice to'fo'rin the ice cubes. Eor. a full understanding et the construetion, utilization kand;"modes of: operation of grid structures of; this type, reference may befhadto Letters Patent ottheUnited States, Nos, 15,709v-,709and 1,709-,Z10, grantedito me on Aplli 1.6, 1929', Y

1 AIn carryingmy. inventioninto effect in its preferred; form of; construction, y the` ygrid structureis provided with gnidingandz Dosi;- tioning, meansvvhereby tobe stabilized upc-n the blOClI ot ice s oA astio prevent any apf preciable lskeyving actionof thestructure with respect totheblock of icaand to cause the intersecting plates tobe guided; straight into theblock. offceduring thepenetra ing operation.

As exempliiednlthe.accompanyingdraw ings, the positioning and@ guidingrv means` are in thev ferm o,in'depending.,` prcjections of which, in the present instance, four. are shown, tWo depending projections 13 and .14 being fixed to onexendo'f the gridstructnre, ,while two depending proj ections .15 and-.16y are .lined to theopposite endlof thedsamje.` These. def pending .projections extend doiinivardlybeyondthe plane ofsymmetry of the. respective penetrating longitudinaledges 1Q andil. 1ct the-.interseetingplates 10 andr'f.. reageerd-ing texanimportantifeatulfeof my invent.. i1, *be members of each pair; of; depending. projections are ,arrangedin planes atfrightfangles to eachother; andfby preference, the ,members of. eachY pairl in` diagonally opposite relation lie in. planes parallel to each other. riiihus', upon an inspection of Fig. 2, it Will be seen that the members 14 andflpcome in planes which are parallel-to each other, andthat tlie members 1S and 1d also come in planesparallel to each other andintersecting the planes of the .first named members. Byv this arrangement', When the grid structurevis `placed u pon a bloclr,V ofA ice j as Y 17 theprojections Y an d Y 14 will.producerecesseslf andllid, inthe blockofzice, vvhile the other members 15. and 16 1 will producev recesses 1.5."` and 16,. y in. the block O-frica Brie-@See ,0f the' fedi that the Projections--are arranged in *die aas-111er rs1-2ftion. descrbedrturnns,Ortwstaaef the id atmete-reto one Sidespositively prevented after the projections have penetrated into the block of ice to form recesses therein.V

At each end of the grid structure, the projections are located in open corners at the junction of the outermost transverse plate 11 With the outside longitudinally extending Plate/.110'-` 111 thans@ Oithesrid-Stlueure', the end, portions L8 of the longitudinalily` extending plates 10 comprise vWings which form drain grooves or channels for draining ofi' the yWaterresiiltingffrornthe melting of the ice during the4r ,roduction of the ice cubes in the chambers With the depending projections located,y in: the manner described, that is to say, in the open corners defining the junction. ofthe transverse *plates2 with@ thel llongitudinally extendinglplates, the water-resulting fronthe melting Off theee pursuanttoithe penetration of the projections `is also drained O-tbwugh thegroeves Orhaflmelsprodueed byv the Wing. portionsI 18. In, case, the, block of ice is offless; longitudinal dimension than the gridi structurathe parofAden end-.ing1 pref jections at one end` 0f the: Strueturegwl be clear of theblocl-of ice while the other`V pair of depending proj ect-ions. Will maintain the structure against twisting or 'turning movement. 1 Ojbviously, ifdesired', additional depending. prQjeGtiQns bei fixed *loathe outer faces of the outer plates 10 at ,points intermediate .,thefpositionsjQ-fg the-pairsgof projectionshereni1-1u,stratedi By virtue of the fact that the 'depending projections produce. recesses j in. the bleek Qf ice in, advance of the edges-,o-.the ntenseetf ingyx plates, die-necessesihus ,produisait tut pestienng meansy orithe. @applica tion thereto of the depending pmjeetions when, after the production of, aseriesjofg ice cubes .and i thechipnng. Qt .Qt thesame fram the ice block, it; s., esired to produce asshsequent seresfefI ice Cubes.hmmI the: sameice block. `In.t1f1`1S.\i'- 21\.v Waste Ofthefceis.; prevented` andthe. .ice-black is kept in: condities fer the prcducton @subsequent Seresof i9@ cubes of uniform size. I -Frem the, feresoing desarnteniieken. in Connection with the aceompaaviaadrawings, it willbe manfestthat I have-.dselesedan extremely Simple @ed thoteeshlyfatisfasingin a' common plane, adapt/editoenter;.into

a block of ice to produce ice sections in the chambers, and projections on certain of the outer plates, extending below the common plane of the edges of the plates and adapted to enter into the block of ice in advance of the edges of the plates. Y Y

2. An ice cube forming device, comprising intersecting plates forming chambers, said plates having edges terminating in a common plane,'adapted to enter into a block of ice to produce ice sections in the chambers, and projections on certain o-f said plates eX- tending below the common plane of the edges of the plates and adapted to enter into the block of ice in advance of the plates, certain of said projections being disposed in planes at right angles to the planes of the other of the projections.-

3. An ice cube forming device comprising a structure provided with parts forming chambers for entering into a block of ice to produce sections in the chambers, and guide means depending from the structure for engagement with the block of ice, to hold the structure in position and prevent skewing thereof relatively to the block of ice and thus cause proper enterin of said parts into the block of ice, said guide means functioning independently of the engagement of the device with the ice.

4. An ice cube forming device comprising a structure provided with parts forming chambers for entering into a block of ice to produce sections in the chambers, and guide means on various chambers of said structure and extending therefrom, said guide means being arranged for, engagement with the block of ice in advance of the position o-f said parts, to hold the structure in position whereby to prevent skewing thereof relatively to the block of ice and thus cause proper entering of said parts into the block of ice.

5. An ice cube forming device comprising a structure provided with parts forming chambers for entering into a block of ice to produce sections in the chambers, guide means depending from the structure and consisting of projections in spaced apart positions for maintaining engagement with the block of ice whereby to prevent skewing of the structure on the ice and proper entering of said parts into the ice iseifected.

6. An ice cube forming device comprising a grid structure provided with plates forming chambers for entering into a block of ice to produce ice sections in the chambers, and a pair of projections at each end portion of said structure projecting beyond the plates for maintaining engagement with the block of ice andenter said block in advance of said plates, the members of each pair being arranged in planes at right angles to each other.

7. An ice cube forming device having in combination transversely and longitudinally intersecting plates forming chambers, said plates having edges terminating in a common plane adapted to enter into a block-of ice to produce ice sections in the chambers, and projections on certain of the outer plates depending below the common plane of the edges and disposed thereon in diagonally opposite parallel planes, whereby said projections enter the block of ice in advance ofthe edges of the plates to prevent skewing of the device when in contact with the surface of said ice block. Y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

ROBERT T. BRIZZOLARA. 

